Sage Truth [Book 2 of the Teadai Prophecies] Read online

  Taniras began to wonder if this was just another fish tale but quelled her impatience and listened.

  “One day, a fisherwoman was fed up with the lack of fish her crew took in, so she begged a mysterious witch to write a charm for her. The witch lived in the woods just beyond the city, those large trees you passed as you entered Bankari. Witch Woods, we call it now.”

  Taniras and her kin sisters nodded.

  “Since the witch’s home moved about each sunrise, one had to walk through the trees and sing to locate her. If she liked the tune, she would appear. Well, she finally appeared to the fisherwoman and agreed to write a charm. The scroll had to be memorized and then hidden in the forest, buried so no one would know its whereabouts. And Bankari had to agree never to cut down another tree in the center of the woods. We could take all we wanted from the outer ring of trees but no one could touch the rest. The fisherwoman consented. But there was yet another price she had to pay for the charm. She had to give the witch two of her teeth. You see, the old witch had lost most of hers and had trouble eating. Well, the fisherwoman agreed and she yanked out her own teeth.”

  Taniras fought a grimace. Why did these tales always include some sort of pain?

  Mistress Norine didn’t seem to notice. “After all, that’s a low price to pay to feed your people. The trade was sealed and the scroll memorized and buried in the forest. To this day, no Bankari has cut down one of those sacred trees. Nor has anyone seen the witch, the scroll, or Kapgruff. But we always have plenty of fish to eat.” She smiled.

  So, that’s why Bankari traded with the Hunters for wood. This charmed scroll must be one of the ancient texts. Taniras had to force herself not to jump into the woman’s arms and hug her. “Thank you, Mistress Norine. That was a wonderful tale. I’m happy Bankari are able to catch meals from the sea again.”

  The large woman nodded. “Yes, love. And if you take a close look at the statues in the village circle, you’ll notice the woman is missing two of her teeth.” She chuckled. “She’s one of our greatest. The man next to her is her husband, the one who escaped the sea creature.”

  Taniras raised her brows at Eletha and motioned her head to the door.

  The treewalker nodded and let out a vicious yawn. “A wonderful story.”

  Mistress Norine eyed her. “Oh, love. You’ve been through quite an ordeal today. You must rest now. I’ll be back later to check on you and bring all of you something to eat, since you missed midday meal.”

  “Thank you, Mistress.” Taniras wanted to get the woman out quickly. They had work to attend to.

  The large woman rose and headed to the door. “You let me or my girls know if you need anything. Anything at all, loves.” She shut the door behind her.

  Saldia turned to Taniras. “You think that’s the text we’re looking for?”

  Taniras nodded. “I would wager my teeth on it.” Though the thought of yanking out her own teeth repulsed her, healer training or not.

  Saldia chuckled then her face grew serious. “You took quite a chance asking about a charmed scroll.”

  “I was tired of waiting. Besides, that woman loves to tell tales. And with Eletha’s condition, Mistress Norine is ready to jump at a word from any one of us.”

  “I still say you got lucky. One of us should tell Haranda and the others.”

  “I’ll go. I need to talk to Snowy.”

  Eletha grunted. “I’ll bet you do more than that.”

  Saldia leaned over the little treewalker. “You remember who you’re talking to. Or I might not wait until you’re well before filling your hair with ribbons. Frilly ones, if I can find them.”

  Eletha grimaced. “You don’t think poisoning me is enough punishment for climbing a bloody tree?”

  Taniras spoke up this time. “That will do, Eletha. Saldia had no idea about the poison. None of us did. We’re lucky to have Predula with us. Someone would have gotten that mug eventually. A middling might have died. Probably one of Mistress Norine’s family.”

  Eletha seemed to think that over a heartbeat. “Predula healed me before I even drank those herbs. Bloody stuff made me retch anyway.” She lifted her head. “I didn’t faint like a fancy girl, though.”

  In all the confusion today, Taniras hadn’t even thought of that. Eletha was stronger now and closer to the end of her youngling days. “No, you didn’t.”

  The treewalker seemed smug, despite all that had happened, and she grinned at Saldia. She motioned to her dress, which now lay over a chair. “You’d better not get used to seeing me in that. Once I move up, I can wear what I like.”

  “We’ll see what Haranda has to say about that.”

  Eletha studied Saldia but the woman had taken lessons from Ved’nuri and her gaze shifted away.

  Taniras headed for the door. “Get some rest. I’ll be back soon.” She left the two and nodded to Snowy, who was in the hall guarding the door.

  “I heard what Mistress Norine said in there.” He smiled. “Good work, love.”

  She grinned at the use of the Bankari term and she offered her lips to him. Snowy took her chin and didn’t disappoint. The kiss was lingering and gave her a tingle throughout her body, especially in her womanhood. She smiled up at him. “When do you want to have the bonding ceremony?”

  He chuckled and leaned close to her ear. “As soon as possible. Or I might ravage you here in the hall.”

  “Devin Nee’cher.” The thought excited her. “You’re terrible.”

  A low rumble filled the tavern and suddenly everything began to shake. Taniras fell into Snowy as she lost her footing, and the two got back to the doorway and clung to the frame. The motion didn’t last long. Her heart raced and she felt frightened and exhilarated at once. An earthquake. Though she’d heard tales of them, she had never in her life experienced one. Bankar was the city Ved’nuri spoke about, the one from the Prophecies. It had to be. She glanced up at Snowy.

  He had a confused look on his face then he smiled. “That was a blood pumper.”

  They went inside to check on Saldia and Eletha. A brush and mug had fallen to the floor and one of the unlit lanterns was on its side, but nothing else was out of place. Before they could get to the bed, another quake, this one smaller and shorter than the first, startled them. Eletha pushed the covers back and moved to get out of bed.

  Saldia grabbed onto her and forced her down. “You stay put. That quake didn’t do much damage and you need to rest.”

  “How can I bloody rest when the building is about to fall on my head?” She uttered some singsong phrase that Taniras didn’t quite catch then said, “I’ll be safer in the streets.”

  Saldia shook her head. “This tavern is fine. I’ve been in quakes before, Eletha. Bankari buildings are made of wood, not stone. There will be some broken dishes and rattled nerves but that’s about all. Taniras, please check out the window.”

  She did as the woman asked. Other than people gathering in the streets, she didn’t see anything unusual. Signs swung from their hangers but all the buildings were intact. The horses seemed jittery as their owners attempted to calm them and some children whimpered and clung to their mother’s skirts.

  “Well? Have we fallen into the sea?”

  Taniras smiled and turned to Saldia. “No. Everything looks the same as when we came into town. Even the fish guts.” The others laughed. Taniras swallowed hard. “That was the second sign.”

  * * * *

  Two days had passed since Eletha’s poisoning and the dogs hadn’t reported anything to Taniras. Brak and Bar’kobin still searched for the culprit too. People seemed eager to talk, especially after the quakes. They had been the first felt in Bankar in a generation. Several smaller ones rocked the area in the last two sunrises but nothing significant. The shade walker had been right. Damage consisted mainly of rattled nerves and a few broken items.

  One boy had fallen off the stone seawall and wrenched his ankle but that was the only injury. From the way the boy’s mother had scolded him as th
e herb mistress wrapped his foot, Taniras wagered that a sore ankle was the least of his worries.

  She and Snowy decided to have their bonding ceremony today in Witch Woods, where they now headed. Afterwards, they would search the area for the ancient scroll that Mistress Norine had talked about in her story. The tavern mistress knew of the private ceremony, of course, and promised no one would bother them.

  Haranda stopped them. “This is a fine spot. The trees offer shade and there are colorful flowers just behind you.”

  Taniras turned and studied the area. Wildflowers grew in the sunny patches and she thought them a nice touch for this special day. Her palms sweated and her mouth had gone a bit dry, which she thought unusual, since she and Snowy had known each other since she was born. “This will do nicely. Don’t you think, Snowy?”

  “Your choice, love.” A smile warmed his face.

  Taniras wanted to run her hands through his peppered hair but that would have to wait.

  Haranda gave instructions of where she wanted them to stand, and there was shuffling of feet as everyone got into place. Taniras straightened her dress for at least the fourth time.

  Palie, the quest cook, stepped to her. “A gift for this blessed day.” Taniras studied the wreath in the woman’s rough hands. Flowers of every Goddess color had been woven together to create a delicate circle.

  “She made that this morning.” Haranda offered a pleased smile.

  The cook was so quiet on most occasions that Taniras never suspected anything like this from her. “Thank you. This is beautiful.”

  Palie placed the wreath on Taniras’s head and smiled. “Marriage will suit you, Taniras Ei’sele.” Her aged face lit up and she winked. Then she handed Haranda a tied bundle of pungent herbs, a familiar incense Gypsies used for special ceremonies.

  Haranda used a single spark to light the incense and walked the perimeter of the kin. She waved the strong scented sticks around. “I cleanse this area in the name of the Goddess.” After making the circle once around, she gave the incense back to Palie, who placed the bundle in a flask so the smoke waved upward toward the sky.

  Predula stood near Haranda with a broom in her hand and swept the area in front of Taniras and Snowy. “With this broom, I sweep away the past and clear a path for the future.”

  There had been two bonding ceremonies in the Land of the Goddess just before the quests left, and Taniras had watched them carefully to learn the customs of her new kin. Of course, she was much more excited to be the bride this time. She flashed a smile at Snowy then turned to her former clan mother.

  Haranda smiled proudly. “We gather here, under the watchful eyes of the Goddess, to join these two Gypsy kin as a whole. One part the female, one part the male, completes the circle. Join right hands.” Snowy took Taniras’s hand in his. Haranda retrieved a length of braided, silver cord from Saldia and wrapped it around the couple’s wrists. “With this cord, I connect the two halves. The female to the male. The male to the female. Life can’t be created without the two coming together.”

  Taniras grinned as a thrill pulsed through her. She and Snowy would come together tonight, at the cusp of the changing days.

  Haranda placed a warm hand over hers. “I, Gypsy Haranda Banwidden, represent the Goddess in this ceremony and must ask the questions for Her. Answer honestly, for She won’t tolerate falsehood. Do you understand? If so, then say, I do.”

  “I do,” Taniras and Snowy said in unison.

  “New-oathed Gypsy Taniras Ei’sele, do you accept this man as your lover, your helpmate, your found half? The one who completes you? Do you place your trust in him? Trust him with your mind, your body, your otherself, your essence, that he will love you and not bring harm to you? Do you commit to him, in mind, body, otherself and essence? To care for him as you would your own flesh, whether there be happy days or dark days ahead? Do you accept this man, Gypsy Servant Devin Nee’cher, to complete you? If you agree with all I have asked in the name of the Goddess, then say, I do.”

  Taniras didn’t hesitate. “I do.”

  Haranda smiled and turned her focus on Snowy. She asked the same of him. “If you agree with all I have asked in the name of the Goddess, then say, I do.”

  He grinned. “I do.”

  “As two halves of the same whole, you will decide on the rules of your household and the tasks each will attend to in the mundane world. You must both agree to such rules, and they must not interfere with your service to the Goddess and the oaths you have taken to Her. Do you understand? If so, then say, we do.”

  “We do.”

  At this point, Predula fished through a pouch and brought out a white crystal.

  Haranda took it. “Gypsy Servant Devin Nee’cher, hold out your left hand. He did and she placed the crystal in his palm. “New-oathed Gypsy Taniras Ei’sele, place your left hand on the crystal.” She did and with their left hands crossing their right ones, they both looked at Haranda for further instruction.

  The Gypsy cupped their left hands in her own. “With the power lent to me by the Goddess, I proclaim here and now and forever forward that New-oathed Gypsy Taniras Ei’sele and Gypsy servant Devin Nee’cher are bonded as one, unless there comes a day when they choose otherwise. I proclaim that they accept this union of essence as well as of flesh. That they honor the Goddess and Her ways by honoring each other. If you agree with all that has been said here today and accept this gift of each other from the Goddess, then say, we do.”

  No sooner had the words left their lips when Taniras felt Energy pulse from the crystal into her left hand. Awareness filled her as the Energy traveled through her body and down to her right hand that was still clasped in Snowy’s and bound by the marriage cord. Her right palm pulsed where she had received the Goddess Kiss from her oathing day, and another pulse joined hers to create two steady heartbeats. Suddenly, she was aware of him, not as a simple heat against her senses, but as a man. His feelings for her, the love, the devotion, as well as the strength he possessed. She smiled and reveled in the feelings. How blissful! The Energy pushed out the way it had come and the sensations were gone. But she remembered and smiled at Snowy before she gave a surprised look to Haranda.

  The Gypsy cocked a brow but said nothing about what Taniras had just experienced. “You are bonded under the Goddess. She has given Her blessing upon this union.” Haranda smiled, unwound the silver cord from their wrists and exchanged the crystal for Predula’s broom. She placed the broom on the ground in front of the couple. “Leap together, as one, into your future.”

  Taniras and Snowy held hands and jumped over the broom.

  “Merry day!” Haranda announced, and everyone repeated the words.

  Taniras had almost forgotten that others were here. She had been so focused on Snowy.

  Haranda then tied the ends of the silver cord together and held it up. “Let it be known from this day forward that these two servants of the Goddess are bonded as one. Let no one pull them apart, lest he or she suffer the wrath of the Goddess Herself.” She gave the cord to Taniras. “Welcome to the realm of the motherhood.” They hugged and Haranda turned to Snowy. “Welcome to the realm of the fatherhood.”

  After she hugged him, the others came forward. Laughter, hugs and kisses of congratulations filled the quiet of the small woods.

  The realms of the motherhood and the fatherhood were symbolic and no couple was expected to produce offspring, even if they could manage such a thing. Younglings would be their children one day. The blessing simply meant the Goddess approved of their union. A union Taniras very much wanted to complete in private. That most every kin became barren after oaths had stuck in her side like a thorn when she’d first heard the news. Of course, no one told her that until after her new-oathed ceremony. Not that she longed for children. She was simply angry the choice might not be hers. It no longer bothered her.

  She put the cord into her purse, drew the strings taut and let it dangle from her belt again. When all the congratulations were over, Pal
ie, who had brought a basket with her, put out a spread of crackers, wine, dried fish and fresh berries. Everyone ate.

  Afterward, they cleaned up and prepared to search for the scroll. Palie’s basket was placed near one of the larger trees as a marker of where they would begin. The guard, Smit, and the hunter, Brandorin, had bartered for a shovel and pick. Both men stood ready.

  Eletha gasped and was up a tree in an instant. She moved like a squirrel, even in Predula’s dress, which she’d been forced to alter while recovering in bed. Since Predula had taken all the poison from the little woman, she had recovered quickly.

  “What in the name of—” Haranda’s eyes settled on something.

  Taniras followed her gaze. Three gray wolves stood nearby, heads low and teeth bared. Someone spoke to Taniras but she couldn’t hear with all the fear pulsing through her head. “What?” she finally managed, but she kept eyes on the intruders.

  “Send them away.” It was Haranda’s voice.

  The urging. How could have she forgotten? Taniras immediately pulled in the Energy and focused on the nearest wolf. That one held its head slightly higher than the other two. Go away, she sent with a small amount of Energy, the same way she had conversed with the dogs in Bankar. The wolf didn’t move. Run away. This time the wolf crept toward her, yellow eyes focused on hers. She sent a little more Energy with the next command. Run from here. Shoo!

  Laughter rang out in her head. It didn’t sound like anything she’d ever heard from a Gypsy or middling. This laughter sounded smooth, as though it came from a hundred voices, a chorus, and it seemed to mock her. She almost lost her focus when a wave of dizziness caused her to stumble. “What was that?” she said, once she steadied.

  “What?” Haranda again. “Taniras?”

  “That laughter.” She had no idea what to say next.